Timing: For Something More
by ChlarkCandy
Summary: Taken from spoilers of Season 8 and vague references of 'Fever' letter.


Title: Timing (For Something more)

Author: ChlarkCandy

Rating: PG13/R

Pairing: Clark and Chloe (is there any other)

Disclaimer: The only thing I own is my car. Oh but if I did own Chlark… they would have been together long ago.

A/N: Based on spoilers for S8, so I guess it takes place in - you guessed it - S8.

* * *

"I love you..."

Clark stands in the bathroom facing the mirror, looking at the determination in his eyes and scrutinizing the resolve in the angular lines of his chiseled face.

"...and I uh, cant live with out you." He says to his image.

He lifts his fisted right hand into the view of the mirror. Opening his hand, Clark holds up a large diamond ring and says, "Marry _me_ instead."

He gazes upon himself in silence, mulling the words over and over in his head. Finally, after a long dumb moment of staring at his reflection, Clark releases a slow breath and bows his head in defeat.

"You're pathetic." He chides himself. "So pathetic. A loser. Stupid, stupid stupid!" He punctuates each word, slapping his empty palm against the side of his head.

_"If she didn't accept you then, she definitely won't accept you now."_ he muses. Yet Clark can't help remembering the kiss they'd shared a couple of weeks ago. He can't seem to forget the way she gave herself to him, even for a brief moment. A moment that he'd poured all of his longing and desire into her; ripping his true feelings out of him and laying them bare before her . She'd accepted him, received them if only for a time.

His eyes shut as he recalls the feel of her in his arms as her body molds to his, melting against him. He can still taste her on his lips, can still feel her supple mouth sliding against his own, her tongue caressing his. Clark still feels the imprint of her hands as they slid up his chest slowly burning a trail of passion and love - scarring him, marking him as hers.

And as her hands found rest on his shoulders, Clark tightened his grip around her waist securing her to him. All of a sudden it was over and Chloe pushed herself out of his embrace with a surprisingly rough urgency, her hand slamming squarely against his cheek. It was only his instincts and his acute inhuman reflexes that had Clark turning his head to minimize the damage to her hand that her slapping him would cause… did cause. If Chloe cradling her hand to her chest was any indication. A brief x-ray assured him, to his immense relief that her tiny hand wasn't broken, but he had no doubt it would bruise.

Clark blinked at her, astonished by Chloe's anger and the vehement fury in her emerald green orbs. She was fuming and Clark couldn't quite figure out why. They faced off for a moment, staring at each other for what seemed like forever. He couldn't help noticing the heat that surged between them and combined with the angry flush on her face and the dangerous electricity in her gaze, Clark's body jolted with undeniable excited attention. She's magnificent, he thought and desired nothing more than to pull her firmly against him once again but her words stopped him cold.

"You have no right Clark!" Her voice was low and decidedly dangerous. "No right! Did you forget, I'm engaged to Jimmy! Did you forget that I'm marrying him in a few months!" Clark realized by her firm tone that these weren't questions, but he answered anyway with a sullen, "No."

"Then why are you doing this? What gives you the right?" Chloe shouted.

And he couldn't help responding, blurting out without any intent. "I found the letter." Chloe replied by narrowing her eyes to dangerous slits but Clark pushed on ignoring the warning in her gaze. "I found the letter, I know it was meant for me. I know you meant it for…"

"I know you found it." She cut in. "I know, because Jimmy found it first." She turned from him then bracing her hands against the counter behind her, breathing in deeply as Clark stood motionless, his eyes watching her intently. Awaiting some response. He hoped it was an encouraging response, but the slumping of her shoulders and the sad bow of her head made his stomach churn with uneasiness.

Apparently she must have gained some control because she turned back to face him, her eyes weary, her voice low, "I'll tell you like I told him, I was 15 and hopelessly stuck on a boy who I knew then would never love me back. It was a foolish high school crush and I'm over it." Chloe said her words coming as if by rote. She took a step toward him making sure to meet his eyes steadily, unwaveringly. "I'm over you Clark."

A sharp pain gripped him then, squeezing the air out of him, "But… but you kept the letter." He knew he sounded desperate, he knew he was grasping for something… anything. Taking a step toward her, his eyes pleading for her to reciprocate. "Then why did you keep it, if you're over it… over me?"

Chloe turned her head away from him, the intensity in his eyes was staggering and she swallowed hard. "I don't know."

"Chloe." Clark whispers, raising his hand to her face, caressing her cheek lovingly with the back of his hand. "I just want you to be happy." His voice was just as soft as his caress. So soft her heart stuttered in her chest. Chloe shut her eyes to his love, stole herself against the onslaught of overwhelming desire and took a step back.

"Then leave Clark." She said lowly. "Please, just leave."

Clark shook his head slowly, denying her request and rejection. "Chloe, you… I love you."

Ignoring his declaration, her words came forth laced with teary emotion. "I wanted you to stand up with me." She said more to herself. "I wanted you by my side as my best friend." She shook her head. Looking back up at him, Chloe reiterated her request. "Please leave Clark. You want me to be happy, then go."

Reluctantly he moved towards the door and as he exited the apartment Chloe shares with Jimmy he heard her sniffles, heard the sobs she released and his heart ached. Chloe's final words as he made it outside into the clear Kansas afternoon, sliced through him like a kryptonite dagger. "You ruin everything."

That had been two weeks ago, maybe three, he's lost his sense of time. All Clark knows as he stands in front of the bathroom mirror is that it feels like ages since he's last seen Chloe. The longest he's ever gone without her and it hurts and he needs to try again. He needs to get her back. He has to convince her of his love. He can't live without her.

There's a knock at the front door of the old farm house that claims his attention. Slowly Clark lowers the ring in his hand, carefully tucking it into the pocket of his jeans before trudging to answer.

His breath hitches at the vision of Chloe standing impatiently in the doorway. Her flaxen hair framing her face delicately, a light sun dress flows loosely around her trim body as a subtle breeze picks up carrying with it the sweet scent of her that floods his senses and drowns his logic. He stands awkwardly before her, frozen still, having no idea what to say or do. Rolling her eyes, Chloe pushes her way past him. The brush of her body against his as she passes sends a jolt of awareness through Clark, snapping him out of his reverent stupor.

The small blonde hastily enters the living room, dropping her purse on the coffee table and begins an agitated pacing.

"So I'm sitting in the Talon with Lois trying to enjoy my mocha latte, with extra sugar and extra cream, and Lois is going on and on about color schemes and arrangements for the wedding and I think she got to the point of bands… I mean…" her hands move wildly as she rambles rapidly supposedly to him, but Clark figures as he stands watching her hurried movements that she could rant even without the audience. "… there is no way we're going to have an 80's hair band at the reception. So anyway, she's going on about gold trims and linings and all that, and all that kept coming to my mind is crimsons and royal blues and…" she takes a breath and finally turns to face him. "… and I hated you at that moment. Why the hell couldn't you leave well enough alone? You keep doing this to me. Every time I think, this is it Chloe… I'm finally over you and moving on from you, you do some bullshit like this."

Clark draws a sharp breath and takes a hesitant step towards her. "Chloe…" he breathes.

She shakes her head discouraging his interjection and continues, starting her pacing anew. "So then I realized…. What are you doing with Jimmy right? Because it's not fair to him. I knew I was settling and could possibly be happy with him, but he deserves better than to have someone settle for him, with him. He deserves to be loved the way he loves me… wholly. And I know… I knew I couldn't give him that, that I would never be able to give him that. And it isn't fair." She stops again and looks at Clark. "I would have hated for you to just settle for me… without truly loving me." And then she gasps, a quiet sob escaping her. "…So I broke it off with Jimmy." At her words Chloe slumps onto the sofa, all her energy, wasted. "He looked so sad." she says quietly and looks up at Clark her eyes brimming with emotion. "I broke his heart." She chokes out, releasing with her words a barrage of build up emotion.

At the sight of her tears Clark jumps into action, moving towards her swiftly, he sits beside Chloe and gathers her trembling form in his arms. He doesn't speak, he has no words just holds her quietly allowing Chloe her release as he comforts her, supports her and runs his hand soothingly up and down her back.

A comfortable silence falls upon them while Chloe collects herself. Pulling back from the warmth of Clark's embrace, she straightens her shoulders and wipes the evidence of her unguarded feelings from her cheeks. Gazing up at him, meeting his uncertain eyes directly she breathes trying to assure her voice is steady as Clark holds his breath in apprehension, awaiting what she's about to say. "I love you Clark. I have always loved you and I'm pretty sure I always will. So…" She smiles slowly. "… if you are certain. I'd like to give us a try."

For a moment Clark tries to process Chloe's words. Stunned into inactivity, he isn't sure if he heard her right but then decides he doesn't too much care if he mangled the interpretation, Chloe is sitting in front of him smiling at him cautiously and the smell of her surrounds him, assaults him to near insanity and if he doesn't kiss her now, he's going to lose it.

And suddenly, Clark has no idea how, Chloe's in his lap and his lips are molded to hers, moving against hers and her hands are fisting his hair tightly and his arms are pulling her closer to him and he can't help himself from whimpering and whispering, "I love you. I love you so much." He can't resist hardening beneath her as she melts against him reciprocating his words in between feverish, hungry kisses, "I love you too Clark. So much."

Clark's submerged in the feel of her, enslaved by her kisses, entranced by the scent of her arousal. He can't remember ripping her clothes from her or Chloe's hands grabbing at his. He's lost all sense of time as he enters her. Nothing exists but the feel of her tightly, hotly surrounding him, squeezing him, quivering beneath him. Nothing matters but the ecstasy of being joined to Chloe. Nothing but this, Clark thinks as he surges in her, loving her with every thrust, making her apart of him.

He would like to think that after their declaration of love and devotion, he'd like to believe that in the throes of passion as he releases inside of her, claiming Chloe as his, and that after they made love for the first time in front of the fireplace that they will live happily ever after. He'd wish that it was all that simple, but the truth is their life was rarely ever that. They still have many obstacles to face but - Clark sighs in completion and satisfaction as Chloe nestles securely in his arms pillowing her sleeping head on his chest - at least they will face those trials together.


End file.
